Web feeding device



Dec. 29, 1942.

ROUAN ET AL WEB FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT made/74k ATTOR E F. J. ROUAN ETYAL Dec. 29, 19 12.

' WEB mums DEVICE 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1941 eder/cK 4- ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 29, 1942 Francis J. Rouan and Frederick L. Fora, stash ford, Conn., assignors to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter 00., Stamford, Conn, a corporation of.

Delaware 2 Application September 4, 1941, Serial No. 409,504

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a web feeding and retracting device which is particularly useful for web or tape feeding in a metered mailing machine of the type wherein the web is fed from a "non-printing position to a printing position,

then, after printing and the cutting of the printed portion, the leading end of the web is retracted to a non-printing position.

It is the principal object of this invention therefore, to provide a novel web feeding means whereby the web may be fed a short distance in one direction and a greater distance in an opposite direction.

It is another object to provide means to feed the web by the frictional contact of the peripheral surface of a segmental structure which structure is adapted to provide a short peripheral feeding surface when advancing the web from a non-printing to a printing position and an increased peripheral feeding surface when retract- L ing the web from a cutting to a non-printing position.

It is a further object to provide a segmental web feeding structure which comprises a plurality of segmental elements and includes means whereby the combined peripheral surface of said elements may be decreased during part of a feeding cycle then increased during another part of the cycle.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. 1 is a vertical elevational view with part in section showing a part of the driving means for a web feeding device, also including a portion of the web guides, a portion of the printing mechanism, and with the web feeding device in its normal home position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the web feeding mechanism showing a part in section and including a part of the drive mechanism, and is taken in the direction of the arrow 2 on Fig. 1; 1

Figs. 3 through '7 are a series of operation views illustrating several positions through which the web feeding and retraction device passes and 66 include: Fig, 3, the "home position; Fig. 4, .the collapsed position of thesegmental device prior to the feedingiof the .web from a non-printing position to' a printingposition; Fig. 5, the feed of the web from the non-printing to the printing position; and in dot and dash lines, the'expansion of the web feeding device after completing the web feed; Fig, 6, the completion .of the web printing and further the feeding of the web'to theicutting position, also including the cutting of the web and showing the ,.relative.position, of the web feeding device in the interim; ,and Fig. '7, an intermediate position of the web feeding device during a retraction operation with the segmental portions. expanded.

The essential elements which are associated with web printing are shown in Fig, '1, and comprise a printing drum I!) and impression roll II, the printing drum: being mounted upon a drive shaft 12, which may be hand or power-driven as desired. Also mounted upon the drive shaft 12; isa cam I3 which passesthrough one full revolutionwith the printing'drum during each full cycle of operation. "Associated with the cam I3 is an arm [4 suppjortedon a shaft 15, which arm has a segmental gear portion I6 at the lower end thereof. A cam roller' I1 is mounted on the'arm l4 and is adapted to ride. within a cam groove 18 of the .cam I3, the 'cam groove 18 being so constructed as to provide a. reciprocating movement to the arm l lduring each complete revolutionof the cam. j v

Suitable web guiding mechanism is provided as indicated at l9, whereby the web W is directed between the printing drum I0 and the impression roller l'l. i

A tape feeding device generally indicated at 2|, preferably comprises two segmental members 22 and 23, one member 22 being fixed to a shaft 24 and theother member 23 being pivotally. mounted upon said shaft. The freely pivotal member 23 is adapted to be retained, within a forked portion 25 of the segment "22 to thereby.

confine both segments into a compact operable unit. Each segment 22 and 23 is provided'with 'a peripheral surface of equal radius to thus provide "a continuous web feeding surface. By means of a'spring 26 which has one end anchore'dat 21 to the segment 22, and the other end anchored at 28 to a part of the segment 23, I

the said segments are normally adapted to be expanded in such manner as to expose a, maximum peripheral surface of the combined seg-- ments to the web W. A stop: is provided to fix the maximum position and comprises an adjustable collar 29 having an eccentric opening 3| therein, which collar is adapted to be fixed to a projecting ear 32 on the segment 22 by means of a screw 33. Cooperating with said collar is a block 34 projecting from the segment 23, which block is adapted to engage the collar when the segments are expanded, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7.

With the segmental structure described, it is also possible to provide a minimum or reduced peripheral Web feeding surface which is effected during the initial feeding of the tape from the non-printing position of Fig. 3 to the printing position of Fig. 5, in a manner which will be later described in connection with the operation of the device. During the collapsible operation, the segmental member 23 will move within the slotted portion 25 of the member 22 and will be limited in such movement by the engagement of an arm 35 of the segment 23 with a stop collar 36.

Said stop collar 36 is adapted to be adjustably supported within a slot 3! in the segmental member '22. As shown in Fig. 2, said stop collar is carried at the end of a screw 38 and is clamped between one end of a sleeve 39 and a washer 4a.

A pinion 4| is fixed to the shaft 24, which also has the segment 22 fixed thereon. Meshing with the pinion 4| is the gear segment IS on arm I4, which pinion is adapted to be rotated by said gear segment I 6 partially in one direction and then in an opposite direction, when the arm I4 is rocked during a machine cycle of operation by the rotation of the cam I 3.

Cooperating with the Web feeding segments 22 and 23 is a pressure roller 43 which iscarried by a shaft 44 and is adapted to engage the surface of the web opposite to that engaged by the segments 22 and 23.

Referring now to the operation of the feed and retraction of the web; the cam l3, when driven in a counter-clockwise direction, will first effect the rocking of the arm l4 to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, and rotate the pinion 4| in a clockwise direction. Rotation of said pinion 4| will effect the drive of the segment 22, but there will be no immediate feed of the web owing to the fact that the frictional engagement between the segment 23 and the web, in cooperation with the pressure roller 43, will provide a sufiicient restraining force to permit movement of the driven segment 22 against the light tension of the spring 26, until the collar 36 engages the arm 35 of the segment 23. In this manner, the peripheral web feeding surface of the segments 22 and 23 is reduced, as shown in Fig. 4, before web feeding .1

commences. Therefore, with a reduced peripheral surface, the web, when fed, is moved but a short distance, as from the position of Fig. 4 to the printing position of Fig. 5. Upon leaving the tape, the feeding segments 22 and 23 are again adapted to expand to their normal positions, as indicated by the dot and dash line position of Fig. 5, which condition is effected by the tension of the spring 26.

The printing drum rotates with the shaft [2 and with the cam [3. By the time the leading end of the tape has arrived at the printing position, the surface of the printing die 44 will engage the web to effect both a, printing and feeding operation. When printing is completed, the tape is adapted to be advanced further by means of a tape feed shoe 45, to the cutting position indicated at 46.

It will be observed that the distance from the normal tape position, Fig. 3, to the printing position Fig. 5, is considerably less than the distance from the cutting position, Fig. 6, to the normal non-printing position, Fig. 3. With the web feed segments in an expanded position however, the peripheral web engaging surface thereof is sufficient to provide for the complete return of the leading edge of the tape to the position of Fig. 3. It will be noted that during the web retraction operation, the segment 22 which is the driven segment, will be the first to engage the web, and since the collar 29 on segment 22 is engaged with the block 34 of the segment 23, said collar 22 will act as a driving force for the drive of the segment 23 to effect the feed or retraction of the web by the maximum feeding surface of both segments.

During the retraction of the web, the arm M will have been rocked by the cam l3 to the left, as viewed from Fig. 1, to thereby provide the appropriate direction of movement for the segments 22 and 23.

What is claimed is:

1. In web advancing and retracting mechanism, reciprocable means having an adjustable web engaging surface, and means whereby adjustment of said web engaging surface is adapted to be automatically effected during a cycle of operation to vary the length of web advancement in proportion to web retraction.

In web advancing and retracting mechanism, reciprocable means comprising segment members having an adjustable peripheral surface frictionally engageable with the web, and means whereby adjustment of said peripheral surface is adapted to be automatically effected during a cycle of operation to vary the length of web advancement in proportion to webretraction.

3. In web advancing and retracting mechanism, reciprocable means having a plurality of surfaces relatively movable and frictionally engageable with the web, and means whereby adjustment to reduce or lengthen the total frictional surface of said web engaging surfaces is adapted to be automatically effected during a cycle of operation to vary the length of web advancement in proportion to web retraction.

e. In web feeding mechanism, reciprocable means frictionallyengageable with the web, and having a contractable web engaging surface, said means being operable to move the web a predetermined distance in one direction and a predetermined distance differing from the first named distance in an opposite "direction during a cycle of operation.

5. In web feeding mechanism, reciprocable means frictionally engageable with one surface of the web, pressure means cooperating with said latter means, said reciprocable means having a oontractable peripheral surface and being operable to move the web a predetermined distance in one direction and a predetermined distance differing from the first named distance in an opposite direction during a cycle of operation.

6. In web feedin'g'mechanism, the'combin'ation with web guiding means, and-pressure means; of reciprocable means frictionally engageable with the web and adapted to movethe web. against the pressure means and along the guiding means, said reciprocable means having a contractable peripheral surface, whereby the web is moved a predetermined distance in one direction and a predetermined distance differing from the "first named distance in an opposite direction during a cycle of operation.

7. In web feeding mechanism, reciprocable segment members relatively movable circumferentially and having their peripheral surfaces frictionally engageable with the web, means to normally maintain the segments in an expanded circumferential relation to thereby expose a predetermined peripheral surface to the web, and means whereby said segment members are adapted to reduce the peripheral web engaging surface thereof when moved in one direction, whereby the feed of the web is less when the segment members move in one direction than in the other direction.

8. In web feeding mechanism, a plurality of segments relatively movable circumferentially and having their peripheral surfaces frictionally engageable with the web, means to move said segments forward and backward once during a cycle of operation, means to normally maintain the segments in an expanded circumferential relation to thereby expose a predetermined peripheral surface to the web, and means'whereby said segment members are adapted to reduce the peripheral web engaging surface thereof when moved in one direction, whereby the feed of the Web is less when the segment members are moved in one direction than when moved in the other direction.

9. In a web advancing and retracting device, a segment, a second segment, one segment being relatively rotatable with relation to the other. means to drive the segments in one direction to advance the web and in an opposite direction to retract the web, yieldable means connecting said segments and normally adapted to expand the one direction the web is fed a'distance agreeing of said segments.

with the length of the expanded peripheral surface, said segments also being collapsible to pro-' vide a predetermined reduced peripheral surface when rocked in an opposite direction to thereby feed the web a shorter distance than when the segments are expanded.

10. In a web advancing and retracting device, a web feeding segment, a second web feeding segment,ceach segment having a web engaging surface, one segment being relatively rotatable with relation to the other, means to drive the segments in one direction to feed the web and in an opposite direction to retract the web, spring means connecting said segments and normally adapted to expand the segments circumferentially to expose a predetermined length of peripheral or web engaging surface, whereby, when the segments are rocked in one direction the web is fed a distance agreeing with the length of the expanded peripheral surface, said segments also being collapsible to provide a predetermined reduced peripheral surface when rocked in an opposite direction to thereby feed the web a shorter distance than when the segments are expanded, means to limit the expansionof said segments, and means to limit the contraction FRANCIS J. ROUAN.

FREDERICK L; FORD. 

